Holding out for a hero

After five consecutive defeats during which they scored only seven tries, Wasps simply had to break the cycle.

And Dai Young’s team managed this emphatically against their oldest rivals Harlequins, on a day when their route to victory was surprising and predictable in equal measure.

What we might not have foreseen was that the foundations of the win were built on outstanding defence. This was due to a potent combination of work-rate, commitment, togetherness and smart planning which targeted the breakdown and maul with precision and power.

What might have been easier to anticipate was that the big names in a struggling team would stand up and be counted when most needed.

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Led by a ridiculously good Nathan Hughes display - possibly his best in my time watching Wasps - a strong supporting cast included Joe Launchbury, James Haskell, Jimmy Gopperth, Thomas Young, Christian Wade and Dan Robson.

To borrow from another 80’s classic, when the going gets tough, the tough get going...

Christian Wade kicks ahead of Marcus Smith during the European Rugby Champions Cup match between Wasps and Harlequins

Defying the stats

To extend the above metaphor, defence constituted not only the foundations of Wasps’ win, but also the ground floor and some of the upstairs.

At times in the first 40 minutes, even though the scoreboard showed them 11 points to the good, it seemed the black-and-golds had neither left their own half nor had possession for more than a few phases.

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And while the final quarter redressed this balance to some degree, Harlequins still enjoyed enough ball in the right areas across the 80 minutes to have won two games.

OPTA’s final analysis revealed the visitors to have enjoyed 62 per cent of possession, while 67 per cent of the action took place in the home half.

This meant Wasps made 116 tackles, while their opponents completed only 36; but the statistic that mattered was five tries to one in Wasps’ favour.

Dan Robson of Wasps scores their first try during the European Rugby Champions Cup match against Harlequins

Mauled by a Wasp

A pivotal moment arrived at the end of the first half, when Quins had three five-metre driving lineout opportunities.

With Wasps on a final warning from referee Mathieu Reynal, Hughes and Ashley Johnson smashed the visitors’ third attempt into touch after which the whistle sounded for the interval.

This meant the hosts held a 21-3 advantage, and as they celebrated the rebuttal of Quins’ drive, a clearly rattled Joe Marler initiated a scuffle which hinted at the descent of red mist which later saw him yellow carded for a forearm smash on Will Rowlands.

Wasps’ maul had by then already delivered their third try, and it was to resurface later in the match in the build-up to Josh Bassett’s bonus-point clinching score.

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M.Reynal revisite

When the French official last crossed Wasps’ path ten months ago, he infamously made the most basic of law errors which enabled Connacht to rescue a win from the jaws of defeat, and in the process cost Dai Young’s team a home European Cup quarter-final.

This time he was pretty much word perfect, even if the frequency of his TMO usage almost extended a contest which kicked off at 5.30pm into Monday.

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Ironically, when Quins were awarded a penalty after the 40 minute first half had expired, the exact Connacht situation re-emerged.

It is unlikely that Marcus Smith intended humour when he asked Reynal if there was time for a lineout before finding touch, but he still managed to produce plenty of smirks among those Ricoh fans listening on ref-link.

Joe Marler is sin-binned by referee Mathieu Raynal during the Champions Cup, pool one match between Wasps and Harlequins

Not that one again!

Every player or coach ever interviewed, regardless of their playing status, likes nothing better than gravely informing us “there are no easy games at this level.”

So it is with a heavy heart that I have to concur that a trip to Franklin’s Gardens, despite Saints’ recent demolition at the hands of Saracens, can fairly be placed in this category.

The good news for Wasps is that they have left Northampton victorious on their last two visits, while the clubs will arrive at the clash in very different frames of mind following their most recent European experiences.

Wasps also gained no further injury concerns against Quins, and as such are well placed to complete a hat-trick, and go into the Anglo-Welsh Cup break in good heart.